8:38pm: According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, Reyes is set to make $950K in 2024. Yoo also notes that the Giants have re-signed former Twins left-hander Charlie Barnes to a one-year, $1.35MM contract. Barnes, 28, pitched 38 innings in the majors for Minnesota back in 2021 and posted a 3.28 ERA across 30 starts with Lotte this past season.
7:49pm: Former big league outfielder Victor Reyes has signed a deal with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The terms of the deal are not currently known.
Reyes, 29, signed with the Braves out of Venezuela back in 2012. After three seasons with Atlanta, Reyes was swapped to the Diamondbacks in 2015 before getting selected as the first pick of the Rule 5 draft in 2017 by the Tigers. He made his big league debut in 2018 with 100 appearances largely as a bench bate and late-inning defensive replacement, sticking on the roster long enough to become a permanent member of the Tigers organization. Though Reyes never secured a full time role in Detroit, the switch hitter performed fairly well in a fourth outfield role, slashing .274/.306/.398 (91 wRC+) from 2019-22 while playing strong outfield defense and going 24-for-32 on the basepaths.
Reyes became a minor league free agent following the 2022 season and eventually joined the White Sox on a minor league deal. He performed well across 128 games at the Triple-A level, slashing .279/.330/.462 across 546 trips to the plate while clubbing 50 extra base hits including 20 home runs. While Reyes ultimately never made it into a big league game with Chicago last season, the improved power potential he flashed in the minors has seemingly earned him attention overseas, leading to this deal with the Giants.
Stateside players who haven’t managed to stick in the big leagues often head overseas in hopes of making their way back to the big leagues later on while making more than they would be able to on a typical minor league contract. Eric Thames and Darin Ruf are among the hitters who revitalized their big league careers with a sojourn to Korea, and most recently right-hander Erick Fedde won the KBO’s MVP award this past season and subsequently earned himself a two-year, $15MM guarantee with the White Sox earlier this winter. Reyes will surely hope to follow in the footsteps of those players as he continues his professional career on the other side of the world.
Padres were in on him to replace Soto but he was too pricy.
#POVERTYPADRES
Padres to change team name to Day Old Bread.
Agreed.
GONE:
SOTO
HADER
SNELL
WACHA
LUGO
MATINEZ
GARCIA
HILL
SANCHEZ
NOLA
Acquired:
4 prospects…
Bad offseason Padres
FORGOT:
PROFAR
KERR
CARPENTER
Again, acquired:
4 prospects
Bad offseason Padres
@tow
Listing a bunch of names sort of weakens your argument when Carpenter, Profar, Nola, and Hill, all of whom were largely ineffective, are included on your list. If anything, losing them are addition by subtraction, and a net positive for the Padres.
Hey at least he didn’t actually sign with the San Francisco Giants!
“After three seasons with Atlanta, Reyes swapped to the Diamondbacks in 2015 before getting selected as the first pick of the Rule 5 draft in 2017 by the Tigers.”
Yes… and…? That is an accurate depiction of his career. Maybe technically you’re saying they should have specified minor leagues? … not sure but otherwise the statement is correct.
As this article involves the (Lotte) Giants, I’m shocked that no one has mentioned anything about the amount of street poop in Busan.
Among players with 500+ ab’s, He may the least toolsy outfielder in the last 25 years. Doesn’t do anything even average
You must have the wrong Reyes. Victor has two or three tools that are slightly above average, just has a tough time trusting his instincts. He will surface again in MLB.
I loved trading for him in MLB the show. I always did well with him
Reyes exhibits little power for his size, and few SBs and XBHs despite his speed. He has tools, but doesn’t seem to take advantage of them.
If the pop displayed in AAA in 2023 is legit (maybe a changed approach? don’t know) but if it shows again in KBO… he might resurface as a more well rounded hitter in a year or two!
Shoulda got a shot with the Sox last year
How about them Dodgers??
They just signed Yamamoto, Snell, Urias, and T. Bauer. Rotation looking better..
They are reportedly still interested in upgrading the rotation, signing 2 quality relievers, and trading for both Elly De La, and O’Neil Cruz…
Who?
Bash Bros 4.0
I have no idea why the White Sox chose to give playing time in the outfield to Trayce Thompson instead of Victor Reyes.
Yeah it seems odd he showed a legitimately improved (power) profile and with his prior pedigree as a decent prospect it seems very odd a non-contending team like the White Sox didn’t give him a chance in the ML… really kind of too bad. Had they, and he had continued to display the new found power maybe were talking about him filling a hole for CHW on the cheap this year instead of signing in KBO!
Thames and Ruf both flamed out back in MLB
Wow his power surge in AAA is pretty impressive. I hadn’t seen/known that happened. Sure it’s AAA and anything could have juiced those numbers but still… I wish him the best… being a rule-5 pick kind of “double-edge sword(ed)” him. It gave him the immediate opportunity (and pay) to be in the ML when he otherwise would not have been but also may have stunted his development. He’s still young enough that if he shows the power is legit in KBO maybe he’ll wind up stateside again soon. either way best of luck!
Yeah, I KNOW he’s kind of an underachiever, but I always pulled for him with The Tigers….Good Luck, Victor! Hope to see you next year!
Reyes could walk into the batters box with a 3 and 0 count and still find a way to strike out. I liked him, but he would watch so many decent pitches go by and then swing at garbage.